About CSE

Executive Board Members

M S Swaminathan - Chairperson

M S Swaminathan is one of India's foremost agricultural scientists and is best known as the scientific leader of the "evergreen revolution movement" in India.

His pioneering work in the field of agricultural science and food security has earned him several awards, both national and international, the Padma Shri, the Padma Bhushan, the Padma Vibhushan, the Ramon Magsaysay Award, the World Food Prize, the Tyler Environment Award, to name only a few.

He has held several distinguished positions, including Direcor General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and of the International Rice Research Institute, and Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperation.

Sunita Narain - Director General

Sunita Narain has been with the Centre for Science and Environment since 1982. In her years at the Centre she has worked both to analyse and study the relationship between environment, development and to create public consciousness about the need for sustainable development.

Her research interests range from global democracy, with a special focus on climate change to the need for local democracy where she has worked on forest-related resource management and water issues. She serves on the boards of different organisations and on governmental committees and has spoken at many forums across the world on issues of her concern and expertise.

Sunita Narain has devoted a great deal of her time to develop the management and financial support systems needed to make CSE strong and sustainable. She has greatly contributed to the institution of management systems that ensure that CSE produces quality work consistently. Read More>>

Chandra Bhushan is currently the Deputy Director General of CSE. He is a distinguished expert in the field of natural resource management, environmental geo-politics and industrial pollution. He has a diverse and distinguished track record in research, writing, management and policy advocacy. Chandra Bhushan has researched and written about issues ranging from industrial pollution to energy and climate change and from water crisis in Indian sub-continent to political economy of natural resource extraction . His academic qualifications include bachelors in civil engineering and masters in environmental planning and technology.

Jagdeep Gupta has been with the Centre since 1998. She is currently the Executive Director at the Centre for Science and Environment. The wide and diverse scope of her work is a challenge in itself, which she manages very smoothly and with élan. A motivational leader with strong analytical, organizational and problem solving skills, committed to the highest levels of ethical, professional and personal excellence. She has grown with CSE under the tutelage of Late Shri Anil Agarwal and now stands as a firm pillar that has seen this institution. Her leadership and 'people at the centre' approach has helped in strengthening the institution and created conducive environment where people can work and excel. She has been instrumental in increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of Support Services through improvements to each function as well as coordination and communication between functions.

One of the founder members of CSE, has been associated with the Centre since its inception. He has a doctorate in Economics and has been the Chairman and Managing Director of Union Bank of India and Deputy Managing Director of State Bank of India, the largest commercial bank of India.

He has served with several other financial institutions both in India and abroad and has been an important member of various committees constituted by financial institutions of India. He is a consultant with the World Bank, and the Asian Development Bank at Manila and serves on the Boards of several companies as a nominee of the Government of India.

B G Verghese is one of the leading journalists in India and has served as the editor of two leading national dailies of India, The Hindustan Times and the Indian Express. He is the recipient of Magsaysay award for journalism in 1975 and was the information advisor to Indira Gandhi, the former Indian Prime Minister. He is a member of the Press Council of India and the Prasar Bharati Board, India's newly reconstituted broadcasting corporation.

A highly respected professional, B.G. Verghese was a member of the Kargil committee and was also on the National Security Council. He is also associated with the Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi and works on issues of water management, especially relating to the optimal development of land and water resources of the eastern Himalaya. He is a member of India's National Commission on Integrated Water Resources Development and has written several books on the subject.

William Bissell has been closely associated with the Centre for Science and Environment for many years He is the Managing Director of FabIndia, a company that has made a signal contribution in popularising handlooms, nationally and internationally.

He is deeply interested in issues of environment and sustainable development. Besides CSE, he is also involved with other non-profit organizations. William Bissell is the Managing Trustee of the Bhadurajun Artisan Trust, which runs schools in Rajasthan to bring quality education to the artisanal families living in rural areas.

G N Gupta joined the Board of CSE in 1998 and is one of the core group that provides guidance on institutional development issues, particularly on financial issues.

As a member of the Indian Revenue Service, he has held several key positions in the revenue department of the Ministry of Finance. He served as the Chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes, India's highest tax making body, and also as a Director in the Planning Commission. He currently serves on the Board of several companies and offers consultancy services on issues related to direct taxes.

Virendra Kumar, former professor of botany at the Zakir Husain College, New Delhi, is an ardent environmentalist and expert on Himalayan flora and fauna. He has been closely associated with CSE and has been instrumental in providing valuable information on the bio-resources found in the Himalaya and the impact of environmental degradation on this fragile ecosystem.

Dr Kumar has served as advisor to the Planning Commission on hill areas. During his long tenure as professor of botany, he has spoken at manyforums on the Himalayan flora and fauna.

Saxena was a senior official with the Government of India and he served in various capacities in his long and illustrious career. He was the Government of India as Secretary,

Planning Commission (1999-2002) Secretary, Rural Development (1997-99), and Director, LBS National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie (1993-96). Earlier he was Visiting Fellow, CIFOR (Center for International Forestry Research, Indonesia, 1994-95 and worked on Sustainable Forest Management.

The Rockefeller Foundation awarded him a Senior Post-Doctorate Fellowship to do research at the University of Oxford 1989-92, He is a member on the editorial boards of International Forestry Review, Oxford, and Food Policy, Amsterdam.

He is also a Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Agriculture and Forestry, Stockholm, and Member, ADB Institute Advisory Council, Tokyo. On behalf of the Supreme Court of India, Dr Saxena monitor food based programmes in India. He now consults to a number of organisations on a range of issues.

Anil Agarwal

Anil Kumar Agarwal was the founder-director of the Centre for Science and Environment, India’s leading environmental NGO. Agarwal spent his lifetime advocating policies that involve the people in natural resource management and learn from India’s own traditions.

Sunita Narain

Sunita Narain has been with the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) since 1982. She is currently the director general of the Centre and the director of the Society for Environmental Communications and publisher of the fortnightly magazine, Down To Earth.

About CSE

The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) is a public interest research and advocacy organisation based in New Delhi. CSE researches into, lobbies for and communicates the urgency of development that is both sustainable and equitable.